An exhibition featuring 100 rare and precious items of treasure
from ancient India is currently running in this southern city's
downtown Nanyue King Museum.
Entitled Treasures of Ancient India, the exhibition is
co-sponsored by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the
Guangzhou Organizing Committee of Asian Games (GAGOC) and the
Indian Bureau of Archaeology.
On the current show are unearthed carving works that date back
to the 3rd century BC through to the 18th century, according to Su
Guifen, director of the Guangdong provincial cultural heritage
bureau.
"Selected from 13 Indian museums, these 100 pieces of ancient
Indian sculptures have very distinct features and strong artistic
appeal. And 80 percent of them have not been shown outside of India
before," Su says.
As an important part of the India-China Friendship Year 2006,
the exhibition had already been held in Beijing, Zhengzhou and
Chongqing before it moved to Guangzhou.
As the last stop of the exhibition, Nanyue King Museum in
Guangzhou is presenting the cultural feast for free to primary and
middle school students and the handicapped, according to Su.
Meanwhile, the show will also move to Japan after the Guangzhou
stop, which lasts until October 10, according to Nirupama Rao,
Ambassador of India to China.
"India and East Asian countries, including China and Japan, have
established long-term friendship since the ancient time. Thus the
exhibition will present a rare opportunity for visitors here in
China and later in Japan to catch a glimpse of India's rich
artistic traditions," Rao says. According to Rao, an event
featuring tourism and culture exchanges between China and India
will also be launched this year.
(China Daily August 10, 2007)